Ahmed Gure, Hiiraan Online
Thursday, August 07, 2008
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| The Hon. John Baird, the Minister of the Environment. |
Ottawa, Canada (HOL) - In an effort to help release Bashir Makhtal from Ethiopian jail, the Somali community in Ottawa met with the Hon. John Baird, Minister of the Environment. Mr. Baird hails from the Ottawa West Nepean riding, a constituency with a sizable Somali population.
The Somali Community thanked the Hon. John Baird for meeting with the community and listening to their concerns in his busy schedule. The main focus of the meeting was to discuss the case of Bashir Mukhtal a Canadian citizen jailed in Ethiopia.
Ahmed Hussein from the Canadian-Somali Congress spoke on the behalf of the Somali community during the conference. Mr. Hussein briefed the Ministry on the significance of Bashir Mukhtal’s case to the Somali community across Canada. He stressed that the community is very concerned about the fate of Bashir Mukhtal who has been in an Ethiopian jail for the last 18 months. The Ministry said that the information that was provided and the account given by the Somali community is exactly the same, therefore furthering the validity of the case.
Among the community elders who attended the conference were Ahmed Hussein of Canadian- Somali congress, Saed Mukhtal who is the cousin of the incarcerated Bashir Mukhtal, Abdirizak Karod, Executive Director of the Somali Centre for Family Services, Abdullahi Mukhtal, of the Somali business community and Ahmed Gure, Director of Hiiraan Online.
One by one they illustrated their displeasure towards the Canadian government for abandoning their citizen and their disregard for the respect of his basic human rights.
Saed Mukhtal, the aforementioned uncle gave a lengthy detail of Bashir’s traumatic ordeal. Saed told that his cousin has been in solitary confinement for the past 18 months and was subjected to confess the crimes that he did not commit. He emphasized that if the Canadian government does not intervene he will surely be executed by the hands of the Ethiopian miltary court.
The Hon. John Baird showed that he is eager to help to ensure that Bashir Mukhtal is provided with fair legal representation. He also said that he will contact both the Canadian Foreign Minister David Emerson and the special envoy, Deepak Obhrai and ask them for their assistance.
Ottawa Somali Community requested from the Minister that Bashir Mukhtal is provided with:
§ A lawyer to be present with Bashir Mukhtal during his court proceedings
§ Trial him at a civilian court, not a military court so he can reserve a better trail.
§ To immediately release him from solitary confinement
§ To lay formal charges on Bashir Mukhtal or release him